Migrant Tales, Author at Migrant tales

Migrant Rights’ Network: UKIP has an advantage that is not based on concrete policy proposals

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Migrant Tales

By Awale Olad

The aftermath of the UKIP surge in the polls in the local elections has led to a lot of soul searching in mainstream politics. To the detriment of the Conservative Party whilst also hacking away at both the support of the Labour and Liberal Democrats parties, UKIP emerged as the third most popular party in Britain today.

But a lot has to be said for the state parliament finds itself in 2013. In 2008, the UK entered its longest and harshest economic crisis in 60 years, mainly caused by an unhinged financial sector. Economic growth has been almost non-existent since then.

In 2009, parliamentarians were publicly crucified for living lavishly on expenses paid by the taxpayer and trust in politicians plummeted considerably. MPs are yet to be acquitted by the court of public opinion.

In 2010 the public decided that there was to be no overall winner at the General Election, which took the country into a new political direction – mainly consensus politics. And in 2011 the phone hacking scandal in the press erupted and shook the nation considerably.

With some in the public now openly engaged in warfare with mainstream politicians and further compounded by a politically apathetic majority, UKIP vacuuming up the votes in the space left unoccupied was inevitable.

The public managed to deliver a puncture to the political spectrum in revenge for what Andrew Rawnsley refers to a ‘resentment felt by many voters that Britain is run in their own interests and those of their friends by a lookalike metropolitan elite who are all implicated in the economic mess.’ However, there is a case to be argued for the need to modernise, and move with the changing demographics of the country, if the parties want to be seen to be fit for government.

YouGov’s analysis of the results for the Observor on Sunday shows that UKIP voters worry mostly about the economy (59%) and immigration (51%), very disproportionately to voters as a whole that worry about immigration (31%). They also tend to be Tory voters who live in the Midlands, who are older and predominantly working class men. But coming second in South Shields would have sent chills down the spine of Labour Party strategists as well.

UKIP doesn’t currently have a clear-cut policy on immigration. It’s ‘undergoing a review and update’ according to its website. So rhetoric as opposed to actual policies drove its recent successes, which mobilised their supporters, who dislike today’s political class, to the ballot boxes.

David Cameron almost immediately came under pressure to change tack on a number of issues but mainly to bring forward the promised referendum on Europe. His Tory government and friendly backbench colleagues have toured the studios to pour cold water over the idea, and suggested the public needed to deliver a Tory majority in 2015 for the referendum, given that their Coalition partners and the Opposition would kill it off at the first reading in parliament. Good excuse, but will probably do little to win back support from their dissenting base.

Pollsters and political commentators will continue to dissect the results of last week’s local election results and will be conjuring up future predictions of how well UKIP will do at next year’s European and local elections. Cameron’s greatest difficulty is trying to effectively deliver his government’s programme of work without having to do a volte-face on a number of issues, in particular, immigration.

His record will show that he reduced immigration as promised and that’s how he should be judged – it’s also very likely that given the sluggish economy, senior minsters may have an allergic reaction to further draconian measures on immigration and a telling sign that senior Tories are happy with the current flow of immigration is the lack of primary legislation that has come forward to reduce immigration to the level of the early 90s.

The Coalition government continues to control immigration by tweaking Labour’s Points Based System (PBS). Not a single bit of primary legislation aimed at controlling immigration numbers has been introduced under a Tory Prime Minister since Edward Heath.

Nadine Dorries MP brainstormed the recent Eastleigh by-election results in which UKIP voters ‘lapped up’ the need for an Australian-style immigration system… much like the UK’s existing PBS, which is based on the Australian PBS. This is further confused by the fact that UKIP hasn’t got an immigration policy – so if the rhetoric is more draconian than its actual concrete proposals, then it can be argued that UKIP accepts the mainstream consensus on immigration policy, which gives them an illogical advantage that needs to be challenged.

The Tories are unlikely to change tack immediately in response to UKIP’s recent surge. They may (rightly) be banking on their tribe to return home and defend them against a Labour onslaught in 2015.

However, from now until the next General Election, the Conservatives are expected to experience a slump in their support at the ballot box. Now is the time to think of new ways to neutralise the UKIP appeal and attract Labour and Lib Dem supporters if they are to perform better in the 2015 election.

Read original story here.

This piece was reprinted by Migrant Tales with permission.

How ideologically alike is the PS with the UKIP and BNP?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Migrant Tales

The recent local election victory of the anti-EU and anti-immigration UKIP of Britain is a good example of what Finland experienced with the rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) in April 2011. While the United Kingdom and Finland are vastly different countries, the knee-jerk reaction of the ruling parties to right-wing populism and rhetoric is strikingly similar.

Instead of challenging the anti-EU and anti-immigration stance of the UKIP or PS, the Tories of the UK and Kokoomus and Social Democrats of Finland bowed to the political threat by mimicking the UKIP’s and PS’ message, respectively.

In Finland, Kokoomus and the Social Democrats have paid a dear price for their lack of leadership in challenging an anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party. The only party that didn’t parrot too much the PS’ rhetoric was the Center Party, which was the biggest loser in the 2011 election.

Apart from being aided by being in the opposition, the Center Party’s decision to not mimic the PS appears to have paid off handsomely.

A recent YLE poll showed the Center Party to be the most popular in the country today. Cameron, Kokoomus and the Social Democratic Party of Finland prove that you pay a high political price if you don’t challenge a threat posed by parties like the UKIP and PS.

Sweden offers a good example of how to deal with groups that rely on the far right extremist, anti-EU and anti-immigration vote. All of the mainstream parties in Sweden have given the political cold shoulder to the Sweden Democrats. I am certain that in the long run, the Swedish answer to an intolerant party will pay off politically.

The political problem in Finland is the opposite to what is happening in Sweden. By accepting to sit at the same table as a party that promotes intolerance is synonymous to accepting their views and undermining your principles and values.

We must stand up for what we think is right. Accepting a society that basis itself on intolerance of immigrants, visible minorities and the outside world will end up doing more harm to a country than good.

What kind of country will Finland and Britain be if Timo Soini and Nigel Farage of the PS and UKIP, respectively, became prime ministers?

The answer: disaster.

One of the consequences of a UKIP and PS election victory would be to instigate a witch hunt against immigrants and visible immigrants.

That will happen in the UK when they reform Britain’s immigration system. Apart from regulating migrant access to the National Health Service (NHS), landlords will be able to check on immigrant tenants.

It is surprising that Cameron, who should know better, wants to scapegoat migrants and the EU to save his party’s hide from the UKIP.

Numerous studies show that immigrants use less social welfare than natives. This is logical since immigrants have to work twice as hard and be twice as good to match a native. Using social welfare would undermine a migrant’s competitiveness in the labor market.

Cameron will end up paying a costly political price for his anti-EU and anti-immigration stances.

Who are the PS?

One way of understanding who the PS is ideologically is by asking what are the differences between its close ally, the UKIP, and the far right anti-immigration and openly racist British National Party (BNP).

A survey published by The Guardian sheds light on this question.

The ideological similarities between the UKIP and BNP are strikingly alike on how the PS markets itself politically and its relationship with far right groups such as Suomen Sisu and Suomalaisuuden liitto. Is it a surprise why the far-right Islamophobic English Defence League supports the UKIP and why some members of the PS support the Finnish Defense League?

Writes the Guardian: ”UKIP is not a right-wing extremist party, but on the doorsteps of voters it is often pushing the same message as the extreme right, and this is reflected in our results.”

This latter conclusion unveils the PS for what it is: A party like the UKIP that attempts to give a moderate view of itself because it would lure more voters but appeals to the extreme right. Thus there are more similarities between the UKIP, BNP and the PS than there are differences.

That is one of many reasons why Soini has spoken in the past to three UKIP party conferences as in this video clip.

The Finnish media should stop picturing immigrants on social rollators

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Migrant Tales

One of the problems when we challenge intolerance is to find its many hiding places and sources. Intolerance has many ways of surviving. One of these is microaggression that appears innocent on the surface but reinforces your exclusion, inferiority and to walk about in your new homeland with a social rollator as a marked human being.

A social rollator will appear before you if you accept your low standing in society. Not allowing people to attain their potential because of prejudice and discrimination is a form of social exploitation.

Picturing and spreading stereotypes of immigrants as “helpless” is wrong. I personally raise my hat to Muslims, Africans and visible immigrants who move to Finland. It takes a lot of guts to live in a country where too many are openly hostile to you.

If our white media in Finland were to be believed, you’d think that immigration is not only a problem but that the biggest groups are Muslims, Somalis and Africans. Why are these groups monopolizing our attention in the media and in the speeches of some politicians when they only comprise a small fraction of total immigrants?

Finland’s immigrant population in 2012 accounted for a a mere 3.4% (183,133 persons) of the total country’s population, according to the Population Registration Center (Väestörekisterikeskus). Of these 183,133 non-Finns, the majority were Europeans and non-Muslims. Somalis, for example, only account for 0.26% of the country’s total population.

What about religious affiliation? Surprise: The overwhelming majority (77.3%) of people in Finland are Lutherans compared with 1.47% classified as “other” religions.

Here’s a “standard” story published by the Finnish media on immigration. While the story is about the rise of racism in Europe, Suomenmaa uses Muslim women and a child to drive home the point. The majority of immigrants living in Finland are white Europeans with Africans and Muslims acquiring for a fraction of the foreign population.

If those groups that receive so much attention in the public are a tiny minority, why do they receive so much attention by the media, politicians and general public?

The answer is clear: It shows a heavy dose of ignorance and prejudice.

I’ve learned the hard way: The next time I publish an opinion piece in the Finnish media, I will ask the editors not to put a picture of a Muslim woman, black African or Asians working for a cleaning company.

When we speak of immigrants, the Finnish media too often uses Muslims and black Africans to picture this phenomenon like on this Savon Sanomat story above. In the picture we see a black man learning to crochet from a white Finn, which again could suggest that only black immigrants are fit to do menial work.

Spreading stereotypes about immigrants is just as bad – if not worse – than a racist who comes out of the closet. At least some of us know that what the racist is saying is wrong.

Too few of us, however, don’t see how the media reinforces the same social illness in an acceptable manner.

Microaggressions: How “law-abiding” community members discriminate

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Microaggressions, the subject of a book by Derald Wing Sue of the Teachers College, Columbia University, highlights perfectly one of the ongoing problems in Finland. Microaggressions occur unconsciously and underline inclusion-exclusion and superiority-inferiority. They are everyday putdowns, insults that aim to undermine the dignity of visible minorities, women, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights or those who are marginalized, according to Sue.

One example of microaggressions that the video shows is between a student (Oriental background) and a university official (white). The official thinks he’s offering the student a compliment: “You know you speak excellent English,” he says.

The seemingly innocent comment disturbs the student, which implies that he isn’t a true US American and is made to feel like a perceived alien in his country.

How many times have we been in the same situation in Finland?

My son, who was born in Finland, was once told by a manager at work that he spoke “excellent Finnish.”

While the manager meant no harm, the comment revealed his narrow view of who he considers Finns. His comment suggests that Finns have Finnish first and last names.

Says Sue: “Microaggressions often appear to be a compliment but contain metaommunication or a hidden insult to the target group…it is delivered by people who engage in microaggression [and] are ordinary folks who experience themselves [as] good moral decent individuals.”

And adds: “Microaggressions occur because they are outside the level of conscious awareness of the perpetrator.”

So how should we challenge daily microaggressions?

Sue offers five points that we need to do individually:

Learn from constant vigilance (study your own biases and fears)
Experiential reality (interact with people who differ from you in terms of ethnicity and culture)
Don’t be defensive (don’t take it personally)
Be open to discussing your own attitudes and biases and how they may have hurt others
Be an ally (stand up against bias and discrimination)

Thank you Glenn Robinson of Community Village for the heads-up.

Zuzeeko’s blog: Ask Finland’s Minister of Interior to stop detention of innocent children

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Zuzeeko Tegha Abeng

The International Convention on the Rights of the Child – to which Finland is party – outlaws the detention of children, unless as a last resort and for the shortest possible time (see article 37[b]) and obligates States Parties to ensure that a child seeking asylum receives appropriate protection and assistance (see Article 22). Despite obligations under international law, Finland detains, as a first resort, children seeking asylum for long periods of time.

Amnesty International, Finnish section, launched a petition to stop detention of children seeking asylum in Finland.

According to Amnesty International, children should be in day care centres, schools or skateparks – not in police detention. Finland detains thousands of people yearly, including people who have fled persecution, war or poverty. They are held in prison-like conditions, although guilty of no crime.

There are children seeking asylum in Finland who live behind closed doors on a daily basis.

I have signed Amnesty International’s petition asking Minister of Interior Päivi Räsänen whether innocent children belong in police prisons. I believe children should be in homes, preschools, schools and playgrounds – not locked up.

Detention is not in the best interest of a child.

Sign the Amnesty International petition here. Finnish Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen.

Amnesty’s petition urges Minister Räsänen to:

Fulfill the promise to stop detention of unaccompanied children.
Immediately terminate detention of all children, expectant mothers and people traumatized by torture.
Ensure that detention is used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible time. Detention places should develop less restrictive alternatives.
Ensure that Finland comply with human rights obligations in detention.

Sign the petition.

According to Amnesty International, the government of Finland promised in 2011 to forbid the detention of unaccompanied children and to develop alternatives to detention. The promise was written in the government’s program, but it has not been fulfilled. Alternatives to detention have not yet been developed and children are still detained.

Amnesty International states that seeking asylum or a better life is not a crime and detained asylum seekers are not criminals.I have visited Metsälä Detention Centre, one of the facilities where asylum seekers in Finland are detained. It is located in Helsinki and I can confirm that the facility is like a prison. Children are detained there. It has one “playground” with no appropriate recreational facilities for kids.

In my view, the Metsälä facility is called a “detention centre”, but it is in fact a prison. It is no place for children, especially children who have done absolutely nothing wrong.

Read original blog entry here.

This piece was reprinted by Migrant Tales with permission.

Do mobile phone companies and insurers discriminate against immigrants living in Finland?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales published Monday a story about how mobile phone operators in Finland require immigrants to make at least a 300-euro deposit and be a resident of this country for two years to get a mobile phone line.

The Ombudsman for Minorities is a good place to inquire about your rights. They have a customer service line that one can call on weekdays 10-12 at +358 (0)71 878 8666

Thanks to Stephen Penny, whose blog entries have been published previously on Migrant Tales, wrote to us about the problems he’s been having in getting a mobile phone line in Helsinki. “Nightmare!” he tweeted. “I went to get a pre-paid SIM at the weekend, & was told 5 years for a mobile contract or EUR300-500 up front deposit!”

Penny said that one operator, Elisa, told him that it would take as long as five years before he could get a contract. He said that the 300-500-euro deposit would only be refunded when the contract ended, normally after 24 months.

Asking a potential customer to pay a 300-500-euro deposit can be a tall order if you are a refugee and living off social assistance, which amounts to a few hundred euros a month.

An official at the Ombudsman for Minorities told Migrant Tales that the only reason why a phone operator can ask a potential client to meet the two-year residence requirement is if the person doesn’t have a credit history.

Another official at the National Discrimination Tribunal of Finland (Syrjintälautakunta) said that there was no cases brought to the tribunal’s attention concerning the two-year-or-more residence requirement by Finnish mobile phone operators.

Another interesting story that was brought to our attention Tuesday was how some Finnish insurance companies like IF require immigrants to have a social security institution Kela card for two years to get life insurance.

Writes Joe: ”I had a similar experience when I tried to get a life insurance policy here and was told that, even though I’m an EU citizen, I would have to live in Finland for between 2 and 5 years before any insurance company would consider me.”

Carlos Loarca confirmed in an email what Joe said: ”My experience about the insurance company IF [one of the biggest or the biggest in Scandinavia] told me that I can not apply for a personal insurance after I have my Kela card for longer than 2 years.”

The official from the Ombudsman for Minorities office was unaware that insurance companies like IF require immigrants to have a Kela card for two years to get life insurance.

One way of moving ahead would be to complain to the Ombudsman for Minorities with some concrete cases and/or bring it to the attention of the National Discrimination Tribunal of Finland as well.

If you want your case to be heard by the Ombudsman for Minorities, write to [email protected] .

Kansanedustaja James Hirvisaari ja hänen mielikuvituksellinen Suomi

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Perussuomalainen kansanedustaja James Hirvisaaren Facebook sivun kommentit Itä-Suomen hovioikeus tuomiosta niin sanotussa Lieksan Facebook-rasismijutussa, ovat hyvä esimerkki siitä kuinka suvaitsemattomuus on saanut jalansijan Suomessa. Riippumatta kuinka paljon perussuomalaisten puheenjohtaja Timo Soini haluaa antaa maltillisen kuvan puolueesta, siinä aina nousee samat tekijät ja viha pintaan.

Suomessa vihataan paljon tänä päivänä. Vihataan maahanmuuttajat, homot, feministejä, suomen ruotsalaisia, vihervasemmistolaisia ja vaikka mitä.

Kun asuin Argentiinassa sotilasjuntan aikana 1977-1978, jossa katosi yli 30 000 ihmisiä, kenraalit puhuivat samalla tavalla vihollisista kuin nyt jotkut perussuomalaiset kansanedustajat puhuvat monikulttuurisuudesta.

Jos muuttaisin sanan “kommunismi,” joka antoi juntalle vapakädet terrorisoida koko kansaa ja maan oikeilla tai kuvitteellisilla vihollisilla ja laittaisit tilalle sanan “monikulttuurisuus,” yhtäläisyys on pelottava.

Hirvisaari ja hänen aatetoverinsa ovat valitettava ilmiö yhteiskunnassa. Heidän ristiretki monikulttuurisuutta vastaan muistuttaa Don Quijoten taistelu tuulimyllyjä vastaan.

He eivät vain halua kieltä, että olemme kasvava kulttuurisesti moninainen yhteiskunta, mutta taistelevat sen vastaan.

Olen varma, että he tulevat epäonnistumaan pahasti tavoitesaan.

Otavan Sanomat: Miksi musliminaiset ovat yliedustettuina yksinhuoltajaäitien ryhmässä?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Maryan Siyad ja Zamzam Ahmed Ali

Miksi Suomessa ovat musliminaiset yliedustettuina yksinhuoltajaäitien ryhmässä? Esimerkiksi, Suomessa asuvien Somaliassa syntyneiden naisten perheistä liki 44% oli ilman miestä tai isää vuonna 2011, MTV3:n 45 minuuttia -ohjelman mukaan, kun vastaava luku suomalaisten naisten keskuudessa on 20,2%. Miten tähän on päädytty?

Kaikki tietävät, että lapsen kasvattaminen ei ole helppoa, erityisesti jos olet yksinhuoltaja sekä asut vieraassa maassa. Nuoret äidit ja lapset tarvitsevat tukea. Enemmän tukea sitä parempi.

Kulttuuriset paineet saattavat olla yksi syy miksi niin monia somali naisia on yksinhuoltajina. Kuten muualla, Somaliassakin naiset perinteisesti hoitavat lapset ja kodin. Miehen rooli on olla työssä kodin ulkopuolella. Nämä roolit muuttuvat paljon kun tähän perinteeseen tule muutoksia yhteiskunnan muutosten myötä.

Kaikki tietävät, että perhe on taloudellinen yksiö. Jollakin perheillä vähäinen raha ja mahdollisuudet voi kärjistää ongelmat sekä muuttaa naisten ja miesten perinteiset roolit.

Saamalla tavalla kun suomalaiset yksinhuoltajat tekevät urheasti työtä lastensa hyväksi, sama asia koske maahanmuuttaja naisia. Äitiys ei tunne kansalaisuutta tai rajoja.

Mikä sitten on ratkaisu? Kuinka voisimme vähentää yksinhuoltajien paineita?

Helppoa ratkaisua korkeaan yksihuoltajien määrään ongelmaan ei löydy. Yksi tärkeä askel oikeaan suuntaan olisi kuitenkin se että viranomaiset tunnistavat ongelmat ja että niin pitää tarttua.

Kenties yksi lääke voisi olla enemmän koulutusta ja työtä tarjoilla yksinhuoltajille, että heidän elämä näin helpottuisi Suomessa. Enemmän rahaa ja mahdollisuuksia parempaan tulevaisuus varmasti auttaisi yksinhuoltajien ja heidän tilannetta.

Tämä juttu julkaistiin Otavan Sanomissa (toukokuu 2013). Maryan Siyad ja Zamzam Ahmed Ali opiskelevat Otavan Opiston monikulttuurisella peruskoululinjalla.

Why do immigrants have to wait two years to get a mobile phone line in Finland?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Migrant Tales

We have read in the past how difficult it is for some immigrants in Finland to open a bank account never mind get access to online banking. All of Finland’s phone operators require immigrants to be residents for two years and a deposit of 300-500 euros in order to get a mobile phone line.

A Saunalahti customer service employee said that the two-year requirement was made by all phone companies operating in the country.

How do they know how long a person has lived in Finland?

“We find out the person’s creditworthiness,” the Saunalahti employee said. “That’s how we know how long he’s lived in the country.”

An immigrant who has resided in Finland for a year and a half said that getting credit for buying a cell phone was out of the question if you don’t meet the two-year minimum residence requirement.

“Having a mobile phone line is complicated and costly if you pay the deposit,” the immigrant said. “If you are a refugee who gets a few hundred euros in assistance monthly from the state, 300 euros is a lot of money.”

@SR_Penny tweeted shortly after the story was published: “Nightmare! I went to get a pre-paid SIM at the weekend, & was told 5 years for a mobile contract or EUR300-500 up front deposit!”

@SR_Penny said that one operator, Elisa, told him that it would take as long as five years until he can get a contract. He said that the 300-500 euro deposit would only be refunded when the contract ended, normally after 24 months.

One way that immigrants get around this problem is by asking their friends and relatives to open a mobile phone line for them.

Getting a mobile phone line isn’t the only headache immigrants face. Opening a bank account can be equally trying and varies from bank to bank and city branch office to city branch office. In some cases it’s possible to open a bank account but not have access to online banking.

Some banks even require immigrants to be Finnish citizenship in order to have access to online banking, while others require a valid Finnish driver’s license.

While stateless persons may have a difficult time opening a bank account in Finland, some have gotten around this obstacle by using a driver’s license.

Sini Savolainen: Nainen, tuo keppihevosista paras!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Sini Savolainen

Voisivatko oikeistolaiset siis kiivetä pois selästäni!

Jälkijytkyläisessä politiikassa yhdeksi maahanmuuton ja toisten kulttuurien vastustamisen suurimmaksi syyksi on nostettu naisten ihmisoikeudet. Niiden kannattaminen kun näyttää tosi hyvältä ulospäin.Valitettavasti homma ei toimi ihan niin, että huudetaan “Mutta entäs naisten oikeudet!” ihan joka ikiseen väliin, jos “ihmisoikeustaistelulla” ei ole mitään loogista linjaa.

Erityisen suosittu keppihevonen tuntuu olevan musliminainen. Musliminainen kun on vielä suomalaisia lähilajejaan, kapista mokuttajanaista ja tavallista ihanan valkoista suomalaisnaista enemmän hukassa.

Hyvä esimerkki tästä on perjantaina uutisoitu kansanedustaja Saarakkalan ehdottama burkha- ja niqabkielto. Saarakkala on sitä mieltä, että muutaman kymmenen naisen (mitä todennäköisimmin vapaaehtoinen) verhoutuminen on suuri loukkaus heidän oikeuksiaan kohtaan.

Naisten oikeuksien punainen lanka ei kuitenkaan ole kovin yhtenäinen. Saarakkala vastustaa yhtä naisten lisääntymisterveyden kulmakivistä, oikeutta aborttiin. Hänen mielestään lääkärin pitäisi saada kieltäytyä abortista vakaumuksensa pohjalta.

Burkhakieltoa ajetaan sinisilmäisesti sillä perusteella, että verhotut naiset ovat jotenkin totaalisen alistettuja tahdottomia raukkoja, jotka oma mies huputtaa ennen kotoa poistumista.

Kuinka montaa musliminaista vaikkapa Saarakkala on konsultoinut asiasta ennen kiellon puuhaamisen aloittamista?

Saarakkalalla tuskin valkoisena (oletettavasti) kristittynä miehenä on pahemmin kokemusta elämästä muslimina, saati musliminaisena.

Jo aiemmin keväällä FEMENin tempauksen myötä musliminaiset ympäri maailmaa ilmaisivat, etteivät he tahdo olla länsimaisten feministien keppihevosia. En usko heidän tahtovan sen suuremmin olla islamofobisten, maahanmuuttajavihamielisten oikeistolaisten miesten keppihevosia.

Ei toisten oikeuksia voi ajaa omista lähtökohdista, kuuntelematta ja ymmärtämättä toisten ajatuksia ja asemaa.

Luovuttamattomat ihmisoikeudet kuuluvat kaikille ja kiinnostus niiden edistämiseen on tärkeää. Tavassa, jolla näitä oikeuksia ajetaan, on kuitenkin vielä oikeistolla ja myös lännen liberaaleilla oppimisen varaa.

Alkuperäisen blogikirjoituksen voi lukea tästä.

Tämä blogikirjoitus julkaistiin Migrant Talesissä luvalla.

Author: Migrant Tales